Synchrotie system



June 17, 1941- w. a wlcKERHAM Erm. 2,246,333

sYNcHRoTIE sYsTEM Filed sept. 9, 1959 3 Sheets-Sheet \1 LJune 17, 1941.

w. R. wlcKERHAM Erm. 2,246,333

SYNCHROTIE SYSTEM Filed sept. 9, 1939 5 Sheets-sheet 2 Af/f elly/ENTO I c [am ICA/ef am W and /arr' CB/unner @we MM ATTORNEY June 17, 1941. w. R. wlcKERHAM ETA.

SYNCHROTIE SYSTEM Filed Sept. 9. 1939 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Patente-d June 17, 1941 SYNOHROTIE SYSTEM William R. Wickerham, Swissvale, and Harry C.

Brunner, Forest Hills, Pa., asslgnors to Westinghouse Electric & Manufacturing Company,

East Pittsburgh, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania.

Application September 9, 1939, Serial No. 294,108

6 Claims. (Cl. 172-293) Our invention relates to motor control systems Many applications require that two motors,

operating on the same load or separate loads and disposed at some considerable distance apart, operate at the same speed. A notable example is the operation of a vertical lift bridge operated by one or more motors disposed at each end of the bridge. To make certain that two such motors or two groups of such motors operate in absolute synchronism so that the bridge be maintained absolutely level, that is, lifted at the same speed at each end, wound rotor induction motors are used, which, when being started, have their primaries simultaneously connected to an alternating current supply and which have their secondary windings connected to each other in opposition. Such connection is known in the trade as a synchro-tie connection.

Heretofore, the practice has been either to apply three-phase power directly to the primary windings oi.' the motors, or to apply the threephase power in steps from single phase to open terminals, to three phase.

With such conventional starting schemes, when the rotors are at the instant of interconnection in such position that the generated secondary voltages happen to be out of phase, the current drawn from the line is in excess of normal, increasing with the magnitude of the phase displacement, and reaching a maximum of six to ten times at 180 displacement, depending on the design of the motors.

Difllculty has been experienced on vertical lift from a study of the following specification when made in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure l is a diagrammatic illustration of one embodiment of our invention;

Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic showing of a modication of our invention: and

Fig. 3 is a still further modification of our invention, also shown diagrammatically.

With our schemes of control, we can prevent the current in-rush, at starting, from increasing beyond more than half the maximum possible. This we accomplish by arranging to connect the terminals of one rotor winding to those terminals of the other rotor winding that have the minimum phase displacement. 'Ihis means that the rotors cannot bel connected with rotors displaced more than approximately sixty electrical degrees, since a given phase of one motor will always be within sixty degrees of one of the phases of the other motor.

Ordinarily the circulating currents in a synchro-tie system for two motors substantially equally loaded are not excessive to maintain synchronous operation between the two motors. It is, therefore, possible to maintain two relatively large similarly designed motors in synchronism by the use of considerably smaller similarly designed tie motors connected in synchro-tie relation disposed on the respective shafts of the larger motors. We, therefore, show two main motors I and 2 coupled to suitable loads, at the bridges employing power synchro-tie systems between the pair of independent hoisting motors at each end of the span. The power supply to bridges is generally limited because of the usual isolated locations of the bridges, and excessive currents introducing excessive voltage losses that interfere with successful performance.

One broad object of our invention is to keep the current drawn from a power supply by a synchro-tie system during starting at a relatively low value.

Another object of our invention is to so select the synchro-tie interconnection that the secondary windings of the induction motors at the instant of interconnection are not out of phase above a given phase angle.

The objects of our invention hereinbefore recited are merely illustrative. Other objects and advantages will become more readily apparent respective ends of a lift bridge, provided on their respective shafts with the motors 3 and 4.

Motors l and 2 are wound rotor motors having speed control rheostats 5 and 6 for varying the speed and torque of these motors. The contactors, or drum controllers for effecting the shunting of corresponding resistor sections of the respective rheostats are preferably synchronized so that the speeds of the two motors l and 2, since they will usually be loaded substantially equally, are through their entire operating range substantially the same, even though there be no provision made for providing absolute synchronous operation. Just how such synchronized speed and torque control of the motors I and 2 is obtained constitutes no part of our invention. Itis, of course, apparent that our invention could be used with the rheostat operating motors, if motors Were used for that purpose.

The tie motors are chosen big enough for their purpose and may be relatively small with reference to the size of the main motors, but the the position of segments 4|, 30 and 33. The synchro-tie connection is thus completed exactly as with the embodiment shown in Fig. 1.

In the modiiication shown in Fig. 3, we use a pair of small auxiliary motors and |23 provided with rotational dampeners to eiIect the completion of the synchro-tie connection. A clear understanding of this modiiication can probably be had from a study o! a sequence of operation.

To start the operation, the attendant operates.

starting switch |03, whereupon a circuit is established from bus |0| through conductor |32, starting switch |03, actuating coil |04 of the main switch and conductor |03 to the bus |01. Operation of the main switch |05 closes the switches |08, |09, ||0 and Closure oi' the switch establishes an energizing circuit for the time limit relay ||2 which closes its contact members |26 after a relatively small predetermined interval of time. Closure oi switches |08, |09 and ||0 connects the tie motors ||3 and |94 to s, source oi' alternating current supply. However, since these motors have their secondaries on open circuit, they do not rotate.

The closure of switch I also establishes a circuit from the energized conductor |02 through switches Iii, |33, |40 and |41 through the actuating coiLs H5 and IIS of the contactors ill and ||3 to the energized conductor |06. Operation o! the contactors ||1 and ||8 connects the primary windings of the motors ||9 and |20 to the primary windings of the motors H3 and H4 and connects the secondary windings of the motors Iig and |20 to the secondary windings of the motors H3 and llt. Since motors I|3 and il@ are at rest, the motors ||9 and |20 merely move relative to each other by an angular motion dependent upon the phase position of the secondary windings of the motors H3 and ||4. In other words, the movement is just suilicient to produce an in-phase relation with the secondary windings of the tie motors ||3 and H4.

After closure of the contact member |26, a circuit is established from energized conductor |02, through contact member |26, through the rotatable brush |2I, one of the contact segments of the contactor |22 to one of the slip rings |23, or |24, or |25. If the angular movement of the rotors of the motors ||9 and |20 is such that the position is as shown for in-phase relation of the secondary windings of the tie motors, then the circuit form the contactor |22 is established through the slip ring |23, actuating coil |21 of the synchro-tie contactor |23 to the energized conductor |06. Operation of the synchro-tie contactor |28 closes the contact members |30, |3| and |32, thereby interconnecting the secondary windings of the tie motors ||3 and ||4 so as to be in-phase or at least not out of phase by more than 60.

'I'he operation of the synchro-tie contactor also opens the switch |33, thereby deenergizing the coils ||5 and H6 to thus disconnect the auxiliary small motors ||9 and |20. Thereafter the main circuit breakers for the main motors and 2 may be operated either by automatic means set in operation by the operation of the synchro-tie contactor |28 or by any other automatic or manual control means.

It is, of course, apparent that if the in-phase relation is such that slip ring |24 is placed in the circuit, then the coil |34 of the synchro-tie contactor |35 is energized and this synchro-tie contactor makes the proper in-phase connection at the contact members |31, |30 and |33,4 and also disconnects the auxiliary motors by the opening of the contact member |43.

On the other hand, if slip ring 20 is energized, coil |4| becomes energized and the synchro-tie contactor |42 completes the in-phase synchro-tie connection at contact members |44, |45 and |46, and the auxiliary motors are disconnected by the opening o! the contact member |41.

It will be noted that regardless of what synchro-tie contactor is operated, each one is provided with contact members as |23, |33 and |43, respectively. i'or providing the necessary holding circuits, so that the particular contactor that has been energized remains energized throughout subsequent operation oi' the main motors and tie motors.

The embodiment and two modifications hereinbefore discussed are merely illustrative of our invention, since it is readily apparent that others, particularly after having had the beneiit of the teachings of our invention, can devise other means for completing the synchro-tie connection. We, therefore, wish to be limited only by the scope of the appended claims and such prior art as may be pertinent.

We claim as our invention:

l. In a synchro-tie system, in combination, a pair oi tie motors having primary stator windings and polyphase secondary rotor windings, a source of alternating current, means for connecting the primary windings to said source of alternating current, switching means for completing synchro-tie connections between the secondary windings of said tie motors, voltage responsive means adapted to be successively interconnected with diiferent phase windings of the rotors of the tie motors, and means, responsive to the minimum voltage divulged by the successive interconnection, adapted to effect operation of said switching means only when the secondary windings are somewhere near in phase.

2. In a synchro-tie system, in combination, a pair of tie motors having primary windings and three phase secondary rotor windings, a source of alternating current energy, means adapted to connect the primary windings oi' both motors to said source of alternating current, a relay having an actuating coil, said actuating coil having one of its terminals connected to a given point of the secondary windings of one of the tie motors, means adapted to successively connect the other |`terminal oi said actuating coil to each of the three phases of the secondary winding of the second tie motor, and means responsive to the minimum voltage to which the actuating coil is thus subjected adapted to interconnect the secondary windings in in-phase relation.

3. In a synchro-tie system, in combination, a pair of tie motors having primary windings and three phase secondary rotor windings, a source of alternating current energy, means adapted to connectI the primary windings of both motors to Said source of alternating current, three electromagnetic contactors adapted respectively to conneet the two three phase secondary windings of the tie motors in three different phase relations, energizing circuits for each of said contactors, a controller adapted to sequentially establish partial energizing circuits for said contactors, and a relay, responsive to the minimum voltage between two phase windings of the secondary Windings, adapted, in coaction with said controller, to energize the particular contactor that will interconnect the secondary windings so that all the phases are near in phase.

4. In a synchro-tie system, in combination, a pair of tie motors having primary windings and three phase secondary rotor windings, a source of alternating current energy, means adapted to connect the primary windings of both motors to said source oi' alternating current, three electromagnetic contactors adapted respectively to conneet the two three-phase secondary windings of the tie motors in three diil'erent phase relations. a controller adapted to selectively eiect the establishment of partial energizing circuits for said contactors and means, responsive to the voltage across those pairs oi terminals of the respective contactors that is the least in magnitude and coacting with said controller to eifect the closing o! that contacter having the least voltage between its terminals.

5. In a synchro-tie system, in combination, a pair of tie motors each having primary stator windings, a source oi alternating current. means for connecting the source of alternating current to each of the primary windings, and each motor having polyphase secondary rotor windings, electromagnetically operable synchro-tie interconnecting switches equal in number to the number of phases of the rotor windings disposed to interconnect the rotor windings in as many synchrotie connections as there are phases in the rotor windings, and Ameans interconnected with the rotor windings adapted to energize that particular one of the electromagnetically operable synchrotie switches having the minimum voltage across its terminals.

6. In a synchro-tie system, in combination, a pair of tie motors each having primary stator windings. a source of alternating current, means i for connecting the source of alternating current to each of the primary windings, and each motor having polyphase secondary rotor windings, electromagnetlcally operable synchro-tie interconnecting switches equal in number to the number oi' phases of the rotor windings disposed to interconnect the rotor windings in as many synchro-tie connections as there are phases in the rotor windings, an electromagnetically controlled relay, controller means for successively interconnecting said relay in different relations with the phase windings of fthe secondary windings of the motors whereby said relay will successively be subjected to diilerent voltages depending on the angular displacement of the phases o! the secondary windings, the design of the relay being such that it remains deenergized when subjected to the lowest voltage to which it is thus subjected, and means responsive to the deenergized condition of said relay and the operation o! said controller means adapted to energize that particular one of the synchro-tie interconnecting switches having the lowest voltage across its terminals. I

WILLIAM R. WICKERHAM. HARRY C. BRUNNER. 

